After walking around a shopping mall for a while to waste time, I decided to head back to the hotel. I noticed a mass of people at the top of the escalator that takes people to the ground floor. There was an elderly lady standing at the front attempting to get on. She would put her foot onto the moving steps and as the steps progressed, her foot would retreat.
She did this maybe four times until she finally managed to half jump, half crawl on to it. She barely managed to cling on to the side before the escalator descended as they have been known to do (how very mischievous of them). With the fear of life on her face she gradually proceeded down. Her friends followed.
Assuming it to be safe for the rest of us we also followed. Just behind me there was a large Arabian gentleman and in front there was this petite rather sweet Malaysian woman. Standing just to one side and behind her, I noticed the Malaysian woman had an apprehensive look on her face. I couldn't figure out why until I looked to the bottom of the escalator.
There at the bottom was our elderly lady on the floor. Unable to get off the escalator, she had fallen down. For some reason known only to her and the Heavens, she stayed there rather than crawling away. Soon followed her friends, one on top of the other.
As more of us came down so more of us fell. A few of us tried walking backwards up the escalator while it moved forward, attempting to cheat the Fates. Unable to move faster than it, we tumbled, head over heel, shopping bags and contents all over the place and arms and limbs flailing.
Our dignity, collectively smashed into thousands of pieces lying there on the floor all about us. Only Quentin Blake could do the scene any justice.
I managed to avoid my poor Malaysian friend. It took all my strength but I knew if I or my Arabian companion in this saga fell on her she could be quite seriously hurt. I pushed her to one side and he and I fell on the other side.
Oh if only I had been as lucky as her. Instead I fell onto a rather generously proportioned lady of unknown origin and my Arabian counterpart fell on top of me.
We managed to untangle our limbs, apologise to one another in various languages, got up and brushed ourselves down. I heard the instigator of this saga burst in to laughter - no doubt out of nerves and embarrassment.
Some people were annoyed but quite frankly what's the point. Accidents do happen and nobody was hurt.
As I was sweeping up my dignity, my sweet Malaysian friend glared at me. Oh dear, she clearly knew I pushed her but she didn't know why.
But at least we do, you and I.
[Category saudi arabia][tags saudi arabia, umrah, pilgrim, photography, photo, al-haram, ka'aba, mecca, medina, people, mosque, religion, islam, ring, introvert, shopping, malaysia, indonesia, escalator, shopping, arabia, mall, quentin blake]
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